Rio 2016: Ashton Eaton, American decathlete, attacked on Twitter for wearing Canadian gear

Ashton Eaton, the American husband of Canadian bronze medal winner Brianne Theisen-Eaton, fought back after receiving criticism for wearing a hat with ‘Canada’ written on the front.

Eaton, a top-ranked Decathalete who’ll be competing this week for the U.S., was cheering on his wife when photos of him decked out in Canadian gear started circulating – much to the dismay of American fans.

@AshtonJEaton is wearing a Canada hat! My heart is broken

— Aaron B (@acexc31) August 12, 2016

Ashton Eaton is a traitor

— Reed Strong (@reedstrong7) August 13, 2016

We just gonna pretend like we didn’t just see @AshtonJEaton with a Canada hat on?

Eaton didn’t stand for it: tweeting out asking if he hadn’t “represented the USA well” in the past. He’s previously won the gold medal in London 2012 and holds the world record for decathlon and indoor heptathlon.

Have I not represented USA well? Yet u demand more. Ur respect is hard earned. I support the country that produced my wife;who ru2 shame me?

— Ashton Eaton (@AshtonJEaton) August 13, 2016

Are your grandparents from another country? Will your grandchildren be? What then? Hopefully you’ll adopt a more reasonable view.

— Ashton Eaton (@AshtonJEaton) August 13, 2016

Theisen-Eaton thanked her husband for the support saying he is her biggest fan.

Ashton is my biggest fan & I couldn’t do this w/out him. Thank you @AshtonJEaton for always supporting me. https://t.co/tFqkEVZ8g4

— BrianneTheisen-Eaton (@btheiseneaton) August 13, 2016

Eaton and Theisen-Eaton, who have been married since 2013, train together under the same coach: Harry Marra.

Before the Olympics started Eaton told the New York Times that he’s more focused on his wife’s career than his own.

“I’m more obviously wanting her to accomplish her goals and dreams because I feel like I have,” Ashton said. “I see the time and energy she puts in it, and we’re in a unique situation where we very much understand what it costs a person to try to get that gold medal.”

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“I think sometimes as an athlete you feel, like, very alone,” Theisen-Eaton told The Times. “I’m lucky I have Ashton because when stuff happens, we have these very separate lives from the regular world.

Theisen-Eaton came through for Canada and won bronze Saturday night. Eaton will compete against Canadian Damien Warner when the decathlon gets underway on Wednesday.